Miss U.K. Was Told to Lose as Much Weight as Possible—So She Gave Back Her Crown

Miss U.K. Zoiey Smale has no time for your unrealistic beauty standards, thank you very much.

In June, Smale was crowned Miss U.K. in the United Kingdom round of the Miss United Continents pageant, qualifying her to compete in the international pageant in Ecuador. But then she heard from contest organizers that if she wanted a shot at winning, she'd have to "lose as much weight as possible," she told The Daily Mail. The message apparently came down from the Ecuadorian directors of the international competition.

"It's horrible and it made me feel so rubbish about myself for a long, long time," Smale said. "I said to my director, who was really supportive, that I don't think someone should say that to girls, it's awful and it's horrible and it's wrong. I don't think to be a good role model you have to be stick-thin and I explained my reasoning that way."

In addition to subjecting herself to an unhealthy dietary regime—which could be especially harmful to her as an eating disorder survivor—Smale felt that if she continued, she'd be tacitly participating in a toxic culture. So she gave back her crown and forfeited her position in the global competition.

"I don't think it is…right to have my face representing a pageant ethos I do not believe in," she wrote in a Facebook post. "If a pageant doesn't want to utilize my capabilities because I am a size 10, then it's their loss."

Smale told The Daily Mail that the focus on her weight devalued the charity work she'd done through the competition, which encouraged a twisted value system.

"This one took completely away from…promoting giving," she said. "It's more, you've got to be as stick-thin as possible because that's what the guys want to see. So I just handed my title back and I just shut that door."

In a Thursday Facebook post, Smale wrote that she was "honored to be called a role model in today's society."

"Seeing the thousands of comments and messages across all of my media platforms, reading people's personal experiences, just goes to show I am not alone," she wrote. "I cannot thank people enough for their support and precious time."

"Women should empower each other, and we should feel OK in standing up for what we believe in," Smale told Glamour. "I would love everyone to know it's OK to walk away and to never be bullied into silence. It doesn't make you a failure."

She added that she "entered the pageant to be a good role model and promote positivity." Even though she no longer has her crown, she's accomplished just that.